Reflections Road
by Izzychase
Summary: Rachel Gatina and Dean Winchester reflect upon the circumstances that led them to meet each other and how this has changed them both. Rachel/Dean.
1. Part One: Rachel

Title: Reflections Road

Author: Izzychase

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, Supernatural, or any of its characters. This is purely a work of fiction.

Category: One Tree Hill and Supernatural AU/Crossover

Pairings: Rachel/Dean

Feedback: Is certainly welcome (I like constructive comments), but no flames please! If you don't like this pairing to begin with, you can click the 'back' button, but if you have an open mind, you might enjoy this too. 

Timeline: In this AU/Crossover, I would say that the two met in around S1 of Supernatural and S4 in One Tree Hill, just because I like to keep things relatively simple.

Dedication: To all my fellow Rachel/Dean fans over on FanForum (particularly Alex and Bru), who've been motivating me to write and whose love for the couple is my strong inspiration to write and not procrastinate.

_Part One: Rachel_

Rachel's sitting up front this time and Sam's sitting in the back busily typing away on his laptop as Dean drives the Impala through another unending stretch of green fields and countryside. They're driving to Missouri this time, investigating a haunting in a nearly abandoned ghost town. The afternoon sun is lazily beginning its descent from the sky, the road is gently winding through the hills of the western Appalachians, the windows of the Impala are halfway down, the wind rippling through her hair, bringing out all its bright red hues, and she's thinking that life doesn't get any stranger than this, but she's never been happier.

If somebody had told her that at the age of 19, she'd be driving through the United States with her boyfriend and his brother to hunt ghosts, demons, and other creatures of the night that hunt and stalk through the towns and cities of America, she'd laugh at them and wouldn't even believe it. However, after going from one city from another as her father hopped from head office to head office, she's finally reached somewhere (and someone) she could call home. Growing up, she moved every several years, never having a consistent set of friends until she reached Tree Hill, and learned to take of herself since her absentee parents cared about their investment portfolios and real estate deals more than parenting. Never really let anyone in, never let anyone see you vulnerable, and never let anyone see you be weak, was Rachel Gatina's motto. She preferred to go through life with a 'throw caution to the wind' attitude, surrounding herself with adoring boys and girls who would do her bidding. It didn't hurt that she had a vivacious personality, a credit card and a trust fund, a pretty face, and a body that other girls envied and guys appreciated. If all else failed, she had been able to develop a persona as an ice queen in order to help her cope with all the chaotic inconsistencies in her upbringing. It wasn't even until she reached Tree Hill, befriended Brooke Davis and Marvin "Mouth" McFadden that she could finally let down the walls around her and admit her loneliness in the life she led. It wasn't until Tree Hill that she found Brooke and Mouth, who showed her what a real friendship looked like, and it wasn't until she met Dean Winchester, that she understood what sacrificing for someone else looked like.

Leaning against her side of the passenger seat, she slid her gaze to Dean who had one hand on the steering wheel, the other arm resting on the side of the car as his soft green eyes gazed at the road ahead of them and occasionally checked his rear and side mirrors. Dean with his cocky attitude, witty one-liners, propensity for recklessness, and love of living life on the edge and to the max was in so many ways her equal. He was smart and competent as well, and the way he invented new weapons and equipment for their hunts always impressed her and she felt like she saw a new facet of him in these situations. However, Rachel also saw in Dean a guy who occasionally longed for a more normal life, a guy who loved his family and would do anything for them, and a guy who wanted someone who was real and not just a series of one-night stands. Every now and then, Dean revealed that side of himself through a remark or comment, through random acts of kindness towards his brother Sam, and tenderness towards her that she didn't know could reach to her beyond her own personal walls. No guy had the ability to match her cockiness with his own arrogance, make her laugh so much with his jokes and witty banter, make her angry enough to kiss him just to shut him up, melt her with a glance or smile, arouse her with just a touch, and reach her heart with his occasional slips of vulnerability as much as Dean. He wasn't the first boyfriend she had, and maybe he wasn't "the one", but Rachel didn't necessarily believe in "the one". What she definitely knew however, was that she had never cared about another guy as deeply as she cared about Dean and this was her longest relationship to date.

Yes, Rachel Gatina, who basically could have any guy she wanted, was making eyes at Dean Winchester. Dean was hot too, with his boyishly handsome face, his emerald green eyes, pouty lips that she loved to kiss, and his muscular body all toned and built from years of hunting. Their relationship sizzled partially due to the fact that they were both good looking and they both appreciated each other's physical attributes- for example, Rachel had always enjoyed wearing clothes that showed off her nice body and vibrant red hair, but she loved it when her boyfriend checked her out (which Dean did frequently), did a double take, or practically undressed her with his eyes. The mischievous side of her also liked it when Dean would glare at other guys who dared to check her out for too long and then when he would smirk when they found out that she was his girlfriend and that they had no chance with her. On the other hand, Dean would always grin at her whenever he caught her checking him out, which she did just as frequently and wiggle his eyebrows at her suggestively when she did so.

_They met in her senior year, during a particularly slow week where she decided to skip school and fly to New York to see its frills and thrills instead. They met in a club just before the outskirts of Manhattan, where Dean and Sam were scoping out the social scene before chatting up the girls, when she had walked into the club in her typically confident style and their eyes instantly met. Rachel had immediately noticed the handsome guy in the leather jacket sitting at a table with the other guy beside him, eyeing the rest of the club with a smile on his kissable lips and playing with the shot glass in his hand, and despite the wide selection of guys to choose from, Rachel knew that he was the one she wanted to leave with. He looked alluring in a dangerous way, and Rachel Gatina had never been one to shy away from that. Later on the dance floor, green eyes met hazel brown eyes and both of their lives were changed in that moment. _

_The rest of the week flew by in a blur. Rachel had never had such an intense and passionate connection with anyone before. On a whim, she had given the key card of her hotel room to Sam so that he could enjoy the sights and sounds of Manhattan, and moved into his and Dean's room, so she could enjoy being with Dean. Rachel remembered how Dean's eyes had widened at that gesture and its implications, and she smirked at how it all ended up working out since she and Dean had barely left their room for the first two days afterwards and Sam had to leave exasperated voicemails for his brother to check whether Dean and Rachel even came up for air. Neither Dean nor Rachel had felt compelled to answer their phones immediately when they had been so engrossed in each other. _

_Somewhere in the middle of the week, the connection developed into one that was more than just physical. They had been playing pool at a quiet bar on 41__st__ street when Dean admitted that he hadn't felt this relaxed and at ease in a very long time after sinking his shot. Rachel had been about to make an innuendo about how she could help Dean 'relax' even more later that night, but the look of quiet content on his face stopped her. Instead she asked him about what normally caused him to be tense, and what followed was an honest discussion on their common problem of growing up with absentee parents and how that affected them. That night, Rachel realized that she wanted to get to know him better instead of treating him like any other guy she used to have flings with. When she, Dean, and Sam were having breakfast together the next morning at an outdoor patio the next day and Rachel was watching Dean scarf down his eggs on toast like it was his last meal on earth, she realized she was ridiculously happy. Dean looked up at her as if he knew she was watching him only to find her grinning._

"_What, do I have something on my face?" He asked in between bites._

"_Not your entire meal," Rachel teased, and then leaned over with a napkin to catch a stray crumb at the side of his mouth in a surprisingly soft way that had Dean blinking at her gentleness. "I just realized how much I never want this week to end." _

_She realized that she had said those words out loud, and she was okay with not taking them back but  
Dean's eyes grew soft and he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too, Rachel."_

_They had both shared a shy smile with each other at that point, but by the end of the week, they were practically a couple, and Rachel Gatina normally did not do the whole 'couple' thing. She normally found it much too stifling for her liking, but with Dean, things were different. She wanted to either stay with him in New York, or she wanted to bring him back home to Tree Hill because by the fifth day, she knew that she wanted him more than she had wanted anybody. Her text message to Brooke back in Tree Hill simply read, "I'm in love". Details could wait until she got back to Tree Hill._

_Finally, on a cloudy Saturday, a case that Sam was researching forced him and Dean to take off for a few hours to solve it, and Dean and Rachel were reluctantly split up for an afternoon. Rachel had asked point blank in her usual direct style what it was that Dean and Sam did for a living and they came to an impasse. Dean, usually so loud and with an easy reply at the tip of his tongue actually furrowed his brows in thought and took a few moments before admitting that he and Sam were actually paranormal hunters. He must have seen the look of disbelief on her face because in an uncharacteristically harsh manner towards her, Dean had barked out a laugh. _

"_That's what I do, sweetheart. I've been hunting demons, ghosts, and vampires for most of my life and I often have to pretend to be part of the FBI just to be able to do what I was raised to do. You're probably thinking right now that I'm either crazy or deluded or both, but that's the truth. And if you want to walk away from all of that, I won't blame you." He gave her a bitter smile, and pulled out his duffel bag and started filling it with gear from the trunk of his Impala. From where Rachel had been standing, it looked like he was filling his bag with different types of weapons. Usually Rachel had a reply and remark for everything, but in that instance, she had been speechless. She just watched him and finally, when he finished, he closed the trunk with a bit more of a slam than usual. She hadn't been able to read the look on Dean's face as he had tried to study her reaction, and finally he uttered a small sigh and stepped closer to her. Rachel had felt frozen and she had made no attempt to get closer to Dean, which was unusual for her, given that they had practically been inseparable. Dean pecked her on the lips, a little more quickly than usual, and he gave her an almost inscrutable look. _

"_I feel like I've been crazily in love for an entire week and you're the reason for it. You help remind me of how it feels to just have a normal life and a normal vacation and I hadn't realized how great it feels to just be away from what I do for just a few days. I wish things could be different and I can be the normal guy you want. I wish…" His voice had been husky and he trailed off, not knowing what to say next. _

_At that moment, Sam had shown up, and Rachel was spared a reply. Instead, she had turned away, overcome by the entire situation but not before noticing the hurt look that flashed across Dean's face before he slipped back into "tough guy Dean" mode. She had glimpsed the look of concern that flashed across Sam's face as he had watched the exchange between Dean and Rachel, but she was in no mood to answer questions, so in typical Rachel fashion, she had walked away. _

"_All right, Sammy. Let's go." She heard Dean say a bit roughly, his voice still a bit husky from the previous conversation. She heard them get into the Impala and drive away and it wasn't until later that afternoon, when she had been wandering around Central Park, unable to get Dean and his words out of her mind when she had finally sunken down on a park bench, put her head in her hands, and wondered what to do next. In that moment, she had wondered why she couldn't pluck up the courage to tell Dean the truth that she had fallen for him, and why the hurt look on his face that had been there for just a second affected her more than she liked to admit. _

_In that moment, Rachel had loved the anonymity of New York and the fact that she could just sit here thinking without interruption. If this was Tree Hill, somebody would've recognized her and she would've been forced to either give a fake "I'm fine" smile if they were from school or blow them off with a glare, if they were a complete stranger. Instead, she breathed in the chilly spring air all around her and as she glanced around the skyline of Central Park and heard the bustle of the city behind it, and she remembered all the times she and Dean had spent together in this amazing city that had brought them together within its vastness and came to a personal decision. Usually it was easier for Rachel to run away from her problems instead of dealing with them, but the hurt look on Dean's face as he had read the rejection in hers bothered her more than she thought. It reminded her of the time that she had been infatuated with Cooper and had lied to him about her age, which caused the whole train of events that culminated in the accident that happened at Haley and Nathan's wedding. While Cooper and Nathan both recovered, Rachel still hadn't been able to forgive herself, and she still didn't feel too comfortable around Haley and Nathan. _

_Rachel wasn't one to give into her emotions straightaway, but maybe it was the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan New York, or the lack of social pressure that would usually come from her peers and friends in Tree Hill, and maybe it was the rush of excitement that Rachel felt whenever Dean kissed her or touched her, but this time, Rachel actually wanted to try to work things out. She realized that while she had been infatuated with Cooper and even thought she was in love with him, the feelings she had for him were nowhere close to the ones she had for Dean. She had the urge to do the honest thing this time, so that she could still fix things with Dean before it was too late. _

_She went back to the room that she and Dean both shared, ran a brush through her luxurious red hair, applied a fresh coat of lip gloss and touched up her makeup. Rachel had enough experience to know that looking good (and showing some of her cleavage) was an important part of preparing for a difficult conversation, especially if she was the one apologizing. Hey, do whatever works, right? She took her spot by the balcony window and just spent some time admiring the skyline until she heard the door close as Dean came into the room. He looked a bit tired, but also triumphant, with his "wake up the world" grin that she found to be just too adorable. He had a look of surprise on his face as he noticed she was in the room, but he waited for her to make the first move. His emerald green eyes still seemed a bit guarded as he watched her carefully and looked her up and down. _

"_I have something I want to tell you too," Rachel began, unconsciously playing with her hair a bit. That smirk from his kissable lips and his openly checking her out was distracting her._

"_Shoot," Dean took off his leather jacket, tossed it onto the couch, and turned to her expectantly._

"_I'm 18 and I'm finishing my senior year in Tree Hill, North Carolina, and I'm not twenty-two, like I said earlier. I lied about my age because I didn't want it to seem like I'm in high school, because it's lame and I'm not just some teenager." She blurted out, hating how awkward things were between them at this moment. She longed to be making out with him and being back in his arms, not across the room. _

"_Why are you telling me this now?" Dean asked, crossing his arms. _

"_Because you told me the truth and that's worth something to me." She replied, walking across the room and closing the distance between them. Rachel didn't always have heart-to-hearts, but when she did, she could be truthful and sincere about her feelings. "I had lied to someone I cared about before, and I don't want to do that again. What you and Sam do in work doesn't change anything between us, and it doesn't change," Her voice lowered a bit and she put a finger on his lips, "It doesn't change my feelings for you."_

_Dean looked at her for a moment, as if trying to gauge whether she was telling the truth or not, but she had looked back resolutely at him. Then, Dean broke into a real smile as he took her into his arms and Rachel welcomed it, greeting him with a proper kiss. As their kiss broke off, Dean laughed. _

"_So I've done a lot of illegal stuff in my life, but you're 18, so I haven't technically slept with a minor- good to know. You don't seem like an 18 year old; you seem more like my equal." _

_With that, he put his arms back around her while she laughed with delight, forgetting that she would soon have to fly back to Tree Hill and he would have to keep going on to upstate New York. A little while later, she was helping him clean a scratch on his left arm and they had gotten into an easy and relaxed conversation that was different from their usual heavy flirting when suddenly the alarm beeped on Rachel's cell phone, reminding her to check in for her flight. _

"_What's wrong, babe?" Dean's eyes showed some concern as he took in the disappointed look that appeared on her face as she flipped the sleek black mobile phone shut. He automatically hooked an arm around her waist to bring her closer to him. They both found that throughout the course of the week, they liked being in constant physical contact with each other, even when they weren't in bed together or making out. Rachel had never felt the need to hold hands with a guy all the time or the need to be in constant contact before, but she found that with Dean, even just his arm around her shoulder gave her a sense of reassurance that she hadn't known she was looking for. As for Dean, she knew that he would never admit it in front of her or Sam, but she did notice that a soft smile would creep onto his face every once in a while when she would lift up his chin with her forefinger before giving him a kiss or she would squeeze his hand. Knowing that she had that power over him gave her an exhilarating feeling, not just because she liked making guys want her, but because she was actually in love with him as well._

"_My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon and my cell phone reminded me to check in," She admitted, before sitting back down in his lap with a sigh and putting her arms around his neck. They both sat in silence for a moment, Dean's arms around her tightening as he was allowing the reality to sink in, before Dean had quirked an eyebrow at her and said to her directly,_

"_The two of us having feelings for each other makes things complicated doesn't it? You like to be independent and Miss-I-don't-need-anybody, and I try not to break a heart each time I leave a state. Now both of us have admitted that we're crazy about one another, and you don't say that to too many guys and I don't say that to a lot of girls. You're one of the few girls that can cause me to act like I'm in a chick flick, and that's usually Sammy's thing." _

Dean had that way of being able to see through her, of being to see past all the walls she liked to put up, and being able to call her out on it. It was one of his characteristics that Rachel appreciated the most about him and it was one of the reasons they had stayed together for so long. Dean actually did understand her because he put up similar walls around himself as well, and she knew that he had his tough exterior in order to guard feelings and emotions that he had learned long ago could be a huge distraction to his work. The honesty they could share with each other was reminiscent of the friendship she had with Brooke and Mouth, both of whom could tell when she was being genuine and real and when she was just putting on a brave front. The first week she had come back to Tree Hill was certainly one where she felt so exhausted from pretending that she was fine when in reality, she had left her heart in New York with a certain green-eyed, cocky, and handsome guy named Dean Winchester.

_The last night that she shared with Dean in New York had been the most exhilarating one of them all; the urgency of time brought a heightened sense of excitement and thrill to their lovemaking. When they had lain intertwined together in the still of the night, so close to one another that their chests were touching and she could feel his heartbeat near her own, Dean admitted that he loved her in a low voice full of raw emotion. Rachel never forgot that moment and she had cupped Dean's face, before whispering "I love you too" and she had given him a passionate kiss in return. Even when they had exchanged all their contact information and some lingering kisses before she left the next day, it felt anti-climatic._

Even now, Rachel remembered how the last semester of senior year had felt like time just spent in between the week she had in New York and her life now. She had always felt that her craving for excitement in life stretched beyond the cozy comforts of Tree Hill, but now that she had a taste of what life could be like when she took a chance to trust her deep feelings for someone and be honest about it instead of playing games, she felt that she had been changed.

"_Ok, Rachel, you've been gone for one week and you leave me one text message for the entire week. Friend, you have thirty seconds to give me the full scoop." Brooke cornered her in the quad right before second period in her first day back and gave her the Brooke death glare that had been patented so well over so many years._

"_Meet me at Tric for drinks at 8pm tonight and I'll tell you everything," Rachel promised, before hurrying to her next class. Skipping classes to go to party in the next county or major city was not new for her, but she did want to graduate from this school, if only to move on with the rest of her life. _

_At Tric, Rachel gave her best friend the entire story of her trip in New York. Brooke genuinely screamed with excitement when Rachel told her about Dean. Brooke begged for details, but for once, Rachel didn't tell her everything. She felt that some moments she and Dean had shared were just that, private moments, but she didn't hold anything else back from Brooke._

"_So you're really in love with him, huh?" Brooke asked, sipping from her Bellini thoughtfully. "I never thought I'd see this, but Miss-Take-No-Prisoners Gatina is actually in love and not just lust."_

_Rachel had given her best friend a mock glare. "Bitch."_

"_Whore." Brooke shot back, not missing a beat._

"_Not anymore." Rachel surprised both herself and Brooke by that honest statement._

"_You're giving up all other guys for him? Wow." Brooke nodded, impressed. Brooke's support had come to mean so much for Rachel over the years, especially in the absence of other girls she could confide in who would really understand. Brooke had been the one Rachel would confide in, after Rachel would email or call Dean. Those conversations never lasted too long and could never replace their face-to-face interactions though, because Dean would always be in the middle of the hunt and was rarely within driving distance of Tree Hill. He tried to call her back whenever he could, but Rachel knew that a long distance relationship would never work out between her and Dean, given both of their personalities. In those moments, Brooke had been a good friend, offering to take her to the spa, or to the mall, or to the movies, anything to cheer her up. One day, Rachel had broken down crying in the girls' bathroom after school, feeling overwhelmed with how much she missed Dean and how their sporadic 10-15 minute long conversations were such a poor substitute for what they shared together in New York, when Brooke had found her, and she just hugged Rachel silently until her sobs subsided._

"_You guys need to talk in person about the relationship," Brooke insisted. "You can't go on like this, Rachel. You're obviously still in love with him. Tell him to come to Tree Hill so you guys can figure things out. If it's meant to be, it'll work itself out."_

_Rachel had looked up at her then, realizing that Brooke had voiced what she had been thinking all along._

"_Besides," Brooke added with a small smirk on her face, "We all want to meet him and see if he's as hot as you say he is. And, you and Dean and Lucas and I can all go on a double date!"_

_At that point, Rachel laughed, loving how Brooke was just so, well, Brooke. _

_Mouth, her other best friend, had initially been sceptical and when she had told him about Dean, he had asked her if she was sure she knew what she was getting into._

"_Be careful, Rachel. You've only known him for a week and when you think you're in love you're going to have blinders on. He may seem like the guy you want, but you've got to make sure that he's going to treat you like you matter, because you do." Mouth said earnestly. "I just don't want you getting hurt. I just want to make sure that if you're going to commit to a guy, he's going to be worthy of everything you can give him."_

"_I know you care, Mouth, and you're a good guy. I'm lucky to have you as my friend." She hugged him, touched by his thoughtfulness._

"_One more thing, Rachel," Mouth said, "You've told me that Dean has to do a lot of travelling. If you want to be with him, you may have to think about how your life is going to change, and whether he's worth all of it." _

Rachel had actually given this some thought in the last few months of high school. She had always known that she wasn't particularly academically inclined, but she was street-smart and she could take care of herself. The only career plan she had considered after high school was packing up from Tree Hill and trying for a modelling gig in L.A. or in New York, and this was something she still eventually wanted to do. For now, she was content with travelling with Dean and Sam and living their lifestyle, but that didn't mean she didn't want normal one day. She knew that Dean wanted that as well, deep down inside, but she loved him enough to stay with him on this current path until they could both have a more normal life.

_She ended up calling Dean. She took a deep breath before dialling the number she had already memorized, and when Dean's deep voice answered the phone, her heart skipped a beat._

"_Hey," She started the conversation in a flirtatious voice._

"_Hey, babe," He returned. She could imagine him smiling as he said it. _

"_Dean, I miss you and I love you," She confessed, trying not to sound too desperate, "and I would never ask you to do this if it wasn't important, but we need to talk. Could you please come to Tree Hill?" _

_Dean paused for a moment, as he heard the seriousness in her voice._

"_I miss you too," His voice had been husky over the phone. "I haven't been able to get you off my mind."_

_She heard Sam say something in the background and then she heard Dean say to his brother, "Sammy, go play with your dolls and stop laughing at me."_

_Rachel smiled at the banter between the two of them. It reminded her of herself and Brooke interacting with each other. _

"_I want to see you and I'll make it worth your while, I promise." She told him._

"_I know you will, babe, and I have a few ideas about how you can start," Dean joked, and Rachel couldn't help but roll her eyes at how horny he was, even as she chuckled. Flirtatious bantering had always put them at ease with each other and even in these more difficult conversations. _

"_So can you come to Tree Hill?" She asked, wanting to make sure he was okay with it._

"_Yes," Dean had agreed. "Let me and Sammy wrap things up here and I'll stop by Tree Hill when we're done. Give me a week or two."_

"_Perfect," She smiled and then gave him her address so that he and Sam could find her when they got into town. As they hung up from their call, Rachel let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She walked over to the window, looking out over the serene suburbs of the place she had called home for the past three years of her life and realized that she would miss Tree Hill, even with her decision. Over the past several years, she had come to call this place home, with her friends, her school, and the comforting small-town aura it always had. She wondered if Dean missed Kansas and his hometown and as she thought about how lonely he must have been before even travelling with Sam, it had occurred to her that her travelling with him could be meaningful to Dean as well._

_For the next several weeks, Rachel walked through her decision even as she went to school, cheered at games, bantered with Brooke and Mouth, and carried on with her daily routines. She also made sure that she could still access some of the money in her trust fund, started to figure out how she would break the news to her absentee parents and started making arrangements to leave Tree Hill after graduation. She especially cherished the moments in between that she could spend with all her friends because she knew that they might all go their separate ways._

_It happened to be one particularly warm Saturday afternoon that Rachel had been washing her Escalade outside, dressed in cut-off denim shorts and a green bikini top, absorbed in her task when she heard a low whistle behind her and whirled around to find her boyfriend appreciatively checking her out and Sam standing a little ways back, trying not to check her out too much and giving her a small smile._

"_I might just let you wash my baby if you promise to wear that while you're doing it." Dean said, his grin widening as they made eye contact. She had grinned back at him before closing the distance between them and welcoming him with a kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss as his arms tightened around her waist and he lifted her up, while she had happily wrapped her long legs around his waist. There were quite a few things they had to talk about, but for now, Rachel had to take some time out just to enjoy being with Dean again._

_Later on, Rachel had actually cooked for all of them, and she and Sam shared a comfortable smile between them as they both watched Dean eat. Rachel had definitely missed hanging out with both of them. She wanted to introduce them to Brooke and Mouth and take them out to Tric, but she could tell by the circles that were under Dean's eyes that they were both tired, and that all the things Rachel had planned out in her mind for when Dean and Sam arrived in Tree Hill would have to be put on hold, including the talk she was to have with Dean. Instead, she brought out some extra bedding and towels so that Sam could comfortably stay in the guest room, and she gave Dean a brief kiss on the cheek before telling him that he was welcome to share her room with her. She knew after spending a week with the two of them that they didn't stay in places that were both clean and comfortable very often. Coincidentally, she had done some research the day previously and found out that some of her parents' vacation properties were actually in her name, and had written down the directions to those cottages and cabins just in case. Rachel knew she would miss the life of luxury she had been accustomed to up until now, but that night, when she had seen the look of peace and content on Dean's face as he slept fitfully in her bed with her, dressed comfortably in his t-shirt and boxers with his strong arms wrapped around her and lulling her to sleep with his rhythmic breathing, she had thought before she drifted off to sleep that maybe, just maybe, for him she could give it up._

_They ended up having the conversation two nights later, sitting on her porch outside, Rachel's legs in Dean's lap as they sat on the bench together, finally alone at last. Dean and Sam already had the chance to meet her friends and they had gone out to Tric the previous night and now Sam offered to go see another band at Tric and to let Dean and Rachel talk. Rachel had given Sam a grateful glance as he had graciously offered that alone time and she made a mental note to help Sam find a girl who could appreciate him one day. _

"_What's up?" Dean asked, direct and to the point as usual._

"_I've been thinking about what I'm going to do next, after high school," She replied, "I couldn't stop thinking about you after New York. I don't want to do this long distance anymore and when I graduate in a month or so, I want to go with you and Sam."_

_She leaned in to initiate a kiss, thinking that he would react well to the news, but the look on his face stopped her as he held a hand up between them._

"_Rachel," Dean started, then running a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out what to say next, "You don't know what you're asking for."_

_She recoiled with a hurt look on her face, almost jerking back immediately as Dean took another deep breath and tried again. _

"_Babe, it's not that I don't want you and that I don't want to be with you, because I do; it's that I can't let you do this. What Sam and I do is dangerous and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you had gotten hurt because you were with me. I know as far as things go you're pretty tough, but you're not going to be able to just jump in like you did last night and start spraying those guys who were after Mouth's friend with Mace every time. Sam and I," He paused, "We were raised to do this. I was practically raised by my dad to hunt since I was a kid and Sam's started to figure out this part of our family calling. You don't have to do this and if anything ever happened to you... "_

_She saw the look of pain that crossed his face at that thought and she tried again. _

"_Dean, if you haven't noticed already, I love danger. I go out of my way to try new things, to shake off the boredom of small-town Tree Hill life and when I came back from New York I felt so alive. You make me happy and I want us to be together." _

"_Even if you came with me, it is not going to be like New York," He had told her, looking deeply into her eyes with his own. "New York was one of the best weeks of my life, but that's all it could ever be because if you come with me and Sam, that's not what the rest of our life is like. It's dangerous; it's filled with ghosts and demons that try to kill us and angry authorities who want to arrest us; and I certainly won't be able to give you, this," He waved his hand vaguely at their surroundings. He broke into his sarcastic Dean laugh. "I play pool and poker so that Sam and I can have enough money to eat and fill the gas tank because neither of us can hold down a steady job in what we do. I can't give you what you deserve and what you're used to." _

"_I can learn to live without all of that," Rachel had almost cried out in frustration. "I love you and I want to be with you. We can figure everything else out. Why is that so hard to grasp?"_

"_Rachel, have you ever seen what it is that we hunt? Do you have any idea what you're asking to get involved with?" Dean had countered back, his emerald eyes hardening as they bore into her._

"_No," She admitted. Rachel had never been one to believe that there were chick flick endings to these kinds of conversations and this conversation was clearly not going into the direction she had hoped. "But that doesn't mean that when I came back to Tree Hill without you it didn't hurt, and even if I live a life separate from you and without you, it won't hurt any less." _

_It had taken her a lot to say those words. _

"_I know that what you and Sam do is very dangerous. But I also know that you and I make each other happy and I'm willing to take that chance," She added._

"_Baby, I love you," Dean had sighed, backing down from his previous harsh tone. "But I can't let you do this. I'm sorry."_

_He gently lifted her legs off of his lap and stood up. She could see that he was all tense from the conversation they had just finished and she remained on the bench, speechless for the moment._

"_I just need to go clear my head, I'll be back." Dean turned around briefly, pecked her on the lips, and then had turned away, clearly lost in thought. She suspected that in typical Dean fashion, he would drive or walk around until he figured things out. _

_Later on that night, Rachel had nearly fallen asleep curled up underneath the covers when Dean's warm arms snaked around her bare midriff and he nuzzled her neck fondly as he crawled into their bed._

"_Did you mean everything you said back there about coming with me and Sam and wanting to be with me?" He asked her just one question, but Rachel could hear him holding his breath as he waited for her answer._

"_Yes, I meant every word of it," She replied sleepily but truthfully, turning around so she could get closer to him. _

"_Okay," He breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll figure something out tomorrow," She could almost see him smile as he dropped a kiss onto her hair and she heard him give a contented sigh as he settled in. _

"_Does that mean you've changed your mind?" She asked, almost mumbling the words against the crook of his neck and shoulder and snuggling deeper into him. She had definitely missed falling asleep in his arms in the past several months, and she had never been that kind of a girl who needed to fall asleep in a guy's arms. _

"_Yeah," Dean simply admitted. "I wouldn't have come to Tree Hill if I didn't want you. If you're serious enough to give up all these things just to be with me, then it's worth a shot. The rest we can figure out as we go along." _

_She had smiled against his neck as she had heard that and as she felt his arms tighten around her. _

Even now, they still got into their fair share of disagreements from time to time. They were both impulsive and passionate and they were almost a force of nature together if they acted in harmony, but when Dean's instincts and impulses were vastly different from her own it could also be like two storm fronts colliding. In those instances, she was glad that Sam could act as a moderator and that Sam didn't take crap from either of them. Sometimes she felt bad that Sam had to be the referee, telling both of them to calm down and to talk instead of just fighting about the situation. She also knew that while Dean had the ability to fall in love, it was a bit more difficult for him to stay in long-term relationships. While he always cited his work as the reason, Rachel had come to understand that other complicating factors in his life, such as his insecurities related to his strained relationship with his father and the way he had always been independent played a role. Rachel also knew that Dean was a flirt just like her, and while they were together, Dean sometimes also automatically checked out other girls, just as part of being a guy. Over time, she had learned not to be jealous when this occurred, but Dean knew how to push her buttons and he would flirt just a little with other girls when he and Rachel were arguing. It never led anywhere, but it was enough to force her to resolve the issue at hand or watch her boyfriend look at other girls with the admiring eyes he usually had for her. She was able to understand most of the time why they fought, since they were feisty, opinionated, and not always willing to back down but that didn't mean that it was always easy to deal with. Sometimes it took the two of them needing some space from each other, but eventually they always found a way of working things out because neither of them could stay mad at each other for too long and they both loved each other.

_One of the conditions Dean had set for her to be with him was that she would have to learn how protect and defend herself. She had never seen Dean be so serious about anything in their time together, but she knew that the determination in his eyes and in his voice was very real. She promised him and Sam that she would train with them on a daily basis and to learn how to use all the different weapons they used. They began training the day afterwards and Rachel started to see a side of Dean that she hadn't had the opportunity to observe much before. She saw how focused and determined he was in hunting, and that made her respect him even more. Rachel didn't always apply herself fully to everything if she didn't think it was worth it (school being a good example), but when had seen how important Dean's work was to him, it made her take it seriously as well. She also had to admit that it drove her wild to have Dean's strong muscular arms wrapped around hers when he showed her how to use various types of rifles or when he would touch her in order to show her various self-defense techniques. Rachel found that her heart beat a shade faster when he put his hands on her hips or on her arms to guide her in various moves and stances, and she noticed that a faint blush crept onto Dean's cheeks (despite the signature smirk on his face) whenever they ended up sprawled together in a suggestive position after sparring together. _

Rachel had to admit that life had definitely taken a strange turn and she was now exposed to things that she would've merely thought were fantastic or impossible in her old life. She learned that ghosts, demons, and strange occurrences that couldn't always be explained were now weekly if not daily phenomena in the guys' lives. Sometimes it felt too strange to be real, to be honest. She had never imagined that she would be learning how to research different types of ghosts and demons or that she would be practicing with a rifle and loading it on a regular basis. She had to admit however, that the thrill and adrenaline she got from helping out in the hunts was better than any Rachel had ever experience. More importantly, she felt like she became a better person and less like the spoiled and selfish girl she used to be every time she got a chance to help someone else. But now, she could also understand why Dean could miss a normal life so much, why he wanted to initially protect her from all of this, and why he could put walls and barriers around himself. He had also wanted her to enjoy the rest of her time in high school and to cherish the life that she had before she willingly walked away from it.

_Dean and Sam couldn't stay in Tree Hill for the entire week, but before they had left, they had promised to come back after she graduated. Rachel had gotten used to having Dean's things everywhere in her room, his clothes and belongings mixed with hers and even his toothbrush beside hers on the bathroom counter. Rachel had never shared this much space with any guy, but by now, it felt natural to share living space with him. _

"_Rachel, what's this doing in here?" Dean held up several new shirts he had pulled out of his bag._

"_Well," She replied, crossing the room to stand in front of him and putting her hands on his chest, "I noticed that some of your shirts looked pretty threadbare so I went out and bought you some new ones. I even had Lucas help me pick some out, because he has this whole Abercrombie and Fitch casual style going on and he manages to choose things that last." _

_A year ago if someone had told her that she would be shopping for her boyfriend she would've rolled her eyes and laughed, but now she was one of "those" girls. Dean, on the other hand, looked touched by the gesture as he eyed the shirts thoughtfully._

"_I guess this makes us officially a couple," Dean had laughed good-naturedly. "I've got my girl buying clothes for me. I hope you didn't tell Sam because he'll never let me hear the end of it."_

"_Your secret's safe with me," She had replied with a wink before standing up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. They had just begun to deepen the kiss when Dean pulled back._

"_I want to give you something as well. I got an amulet from one of my father's friends several weeks ago when we helped him with something and I want you to have it."_

_He dug around his bag for a moment before pulling out an amulet on a black string similar to the one he wore around his neck, but in a slightly different pattern. Rachel was familiar with the story of how Sam had given Dean that amulet for Christmas when they were both children, and Rachel had been touched by how he had given her a similar amulet. For someone like Dean who didn't always open up to others what he was thinking or feeling, it had meant a lot that he would give something like this to her. She swallowed._

"_Thank you," She said softly, looking down at the amulet and then up at him. He seemed slightly embarrassed, but he had a soft smile on his face and his brilliant green eyes looked at her with love. While she had plenty of jewellery, Rachel already knew that this piece would be more important than the others. "Why don't you put it on for me?"_

_She saw Dean's hands tremble just the slightest as he placed the amulet around her neck, and she settled the amulet so that it was nestled comfortably in between her cleavage before giving him another kiss, this one more passionate. Saying goodbye to the two of them this time around was easier, especially now that she knew where she and Dean's relationship stood and she knew that they would be back soon. _

_It turned out to be a great graduation year. Rachel loved the fact that she could actually graduate with her best friends and they used the last several weeks to just spend time with each other before everyone would go their separate ways. Rachel invited her friends to stay up in her parents' cabin with her for a weekend; and they went hiking, fishing, and spent a lot of time just hanging out and enjoying each others' company. She and Mouth went to the prom as dates, but it was more because Rachel didn't want Mouth to be too depressed that he was single at most dances while he would have to watch Brooke and Lucas be all cute for the whole evening. Rachel also knew a little bit that Mouth had a bit of a crush on her throughout high school, and while she knew she was with Dean for the long haul, she also wanted to do something special for Mouth too just because he had been such a loyal friend. Peyton invited everyone for a graduation party at Tric, and Brooke had planned a huge going away party at her parents' place. Brooke and Mouth had even handed her a scrapbook of all the times they had shared in high school. Best of all was the calls and text messages she would get in between from Dean as the boys travelled and worked._

_Brooke had been there as Rachel packed her bags to leave Tree Hill. Dean had warned her to pack light, and although she was following his directions, she still wanted Brooke's impeccable fashion sense to advise her on a few special items, like lingerie. Rachel had noticed that her lingerie budget had skyrocketed since being with Dean and now Brooke helped her choose between colours and styles and teased her about spending so much money. More than anything, Rachel just needed an excuse to hang out with Brooke. _

"_You probably spent more on lingerie this month than the boys spent on food," Brooke joked, and then waved to the pile of lingerie on Rachel's bed. "Why don't you take it all with you? I'm sure Dean wouldn't mind carrying *that* extra bag for you." _

"_He's serious, Brooke." Rachel replied, before tossing a few items in one of her bags. "Dean and I like green so I'm sticking with green. Now, girl's opinion: deep blue or grey?"_

"_Deep blue, it's more of a contrast with your hair," Brooke automatically replied. "You know, Rachel, you're a crazy bitch but I'm glad you're my best friend. I'm going to miss you"_

_Rachel shot a glance over at Brooke, touched by her statement. She stopped packing for a moment and crossed over to give Brooke a hug. "I'm going to miss you too. You're a good friend."_

_Brooke welcomed the hug and the two girls held on tight, just enjoying the moment. Rachel stepped out of the hug just as she said, "Promise me that you'll text and call me no matter wherever I am." _

"_Promise," Brooke smiled and gave her a wink. "Now you better keep eliminating from that pile."_

_Rachel had finished packing and making all her arrangements to leave Tree Hill by the day of the graduation ceremony, and while she was disappointed that her parents couldn't make it to the ceremony, she wasn't too surprised. As she lined up with her classmates and they took their seats on the podium before the diplomas were handed out, she noticed that Dean and Sam had snuck in at the back and she saw her boyfriend give her a wink as they slid into two empty seats. Rachel beamed back, touched by their thoughtfulness. Later on, as she walked across the stage and as she joined the others in tossing their graduation caps, Rachel felt a sense of completion and closure._

_After they loaded her bags into the trunk of the Impala, Dean drew her into his arms and they just shared a private moment together, without exchanging a word and readying themselves for the next step in both of their lives. _

Rachel reached out, her hand resting gently on Dean's thigh as he drove. The gesture was not even meant to be sexual; Rachel just liked to let Dean know that she had been thinking about him. Dean shot her a quick glance, his eyebrows shooting up in curiosity.

"Babe, I know you can't get enough of me, but I'm driving and you're just going to have to wait," He joked, his green eyes twinkling with laughter, even as he knew that her gesture was one of affection and not just a come-on. He still liked to joke and have his fun though.

"Oh, please, Dean, you're the one who can't get enough of me," She joked back, playing along. It was true; the passion that had been ignited in New York between the two of them had not died; in fact, every time after an intense hunt Dean would still scoop her up in his arms and they would share a kiss, and if one of them had gotten hurt during that hunt, those kisses were often more demanding and passionate. It was as if they had both realized how quickly things could change and how fragile their mortality was, no matter how experienced and skilled Dean was in hunting or how accurate Rachel's intervening shot from a crossbow or a rifle had been.

"Oh, please, Dean," Dean threw his head back, mimicking her in a breathy voice. "That was more like the way you said it last night."

"Really don't need to know, thank you very much," Sam muttered, plugging his earphones into the earphone jack at the side of his laptop. Even though they all got along for the most part, Sam would occasionally roll his eyes in those moments, but Rachel could also see the relief in his eyes when he saw how at ease they all were around each other.

"Shut up, Sammy," Rachel and Dean had responded at once. Neither of them were particularly prudish; they had a great sex life together and there was no need for either of them to pretend that it was otherwise. However, Rachel also turned around to give Sam a smile just to let him know that they had just been joking. Since meeting the two of them in New York and seeing how much of a family they were, she had learned to be more discreet and to not make Sam feel like a third wheel, and to make sure that Dean and Sam's brotherly bond wasn't negatively impacted by her entering into their lives. She knew sometimes that they just needed to spend some time together and do their own thing, and during those times, Rachel would offer to go shopping, write emails to Brooke and Mouth, or do some stuff on her own so that they could have that time together.

Sam was kind and thoughtful, and Rachel felt comfortable with him just as much as she felt comfortable with Dean. Rachel felt comfortable talking with Sam and opening up to him because she found him to be a good listener. He also had lots of experience in dealing with difficult people and the fact that he wasn't too phased or intimidated by her also earned him points in her book. She had come to see him as the brother that she had never had, and in the moments when she missed Tree Hill and all her friends there, he reminded her of Mouth. He was much deeper and more perceptive than anyone gave him credit for, and whenever she needed advice or perspective, she would go to Sam.

Rachel saw Dean glance in his rear view mirror and smile fondly at the sight of his brother, immersed in his own research and studiously ignoring their interactions. He shot her a laid-back grin. In those moments, neither of them needed to say anything. Overall though, life with him was better than life without him, and for Rachel, who had been alone for so long in her life, to finally find someone she was comfortable with and someone she enjoyed being around meant that she could make trade-offs and give other things up.

Rachel had no idea where this adventure would lead them to next, but she learned that with the Winchester brothers, life was unpredictable, dangerous, and often times surreal. It was a life where each hunt could be the final one, and each place could be the last destination in their travels. While she couldn't control where she had lived or moved in previous places in her life, every time now she contributed to helping protect a civilian or saving someone by helping Dean and Sam eliminate another paranormal threat, Rachel could say that who and where she was today was a choice of her own free will. Looking back, she could see that she had matured in the past year, when the doors from a previously uncomplicated life were opened to the shadowed complexity of this one.

Rachel leaned over and planted a soft and gentle kiss on Dean's cheek, letting her body brush with his briefly. In the midst of all the danger that marked all of their lives she had still managed to find love and hold onto it; and now, whether she woke up in a small farm town in upstate New York, a hot and muggy sleepy city in Louisiana, or a cabin tucked away in the rainy Pacific Northwest, the intensity and excitement that marked her life and relationship with Dean interspersed with the moments of peace and content they shared together made her not regret a single minute of this new life at all.

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Other Author's Notes: I had written Rachel with this particular characterization because I saw her as a dynamic character and one capable of changing upon reflection of previous mistakes. I wanted to show her character growth as a person, and while I am generous to my writing of Rachel, I do believe this to be possible based on the glimpses that we saw of her character, her generosity, her loyalty, and her insecurities that we finally started to see in season 4 of One Tree Hill. I do believe that she is capable of change, and while she isn't perfect now, she's come along way. –Izzy.


	2. Part Two: Dean

Title: Reflections Road

Author: Izzychase

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, Supernatural, or any of its characters. This is purely a work of fiction.

Category: One Tree Hill and Supernatural AU/Crossover

Pairings: Rachel/Dean

Feedback: Is certainly welcome (I like constructive comments), but no flames please! If you don't like this pairing to begin with, you can click the 'back' button, but if you have an open mind, you might enjoy this too. 

Timeline: In this AU/Crossover, I would say that the two met in around S1 of Supernatural and S4 in One Tree Hill, just because I like to keep things relatively simple.

Dedication: To all my fellow Rachel/Dean fans over on FanForum (particularly Alex and Bru), who've been motivating me to write and whose love for the couple is my strong inspiration to write and not procrastinate, and to Kara who writes Rachel/Dean as a couple really well.

_Part Two: Dean_

Dean Winchester is happy. Classic rock is playing softly in the background, they're heading to investigate a haunting that Bobby gave them a tip about, the windows are down and fresh mountain air is coming in, the landscape is soothing and gently winding down the western Appalachians, Sammy is busily typing away on his laptop, and Rachel is sitting beside him in the front seat with her hand resting gently on his thigh, looking gorgeous as the afternoon sun brings out the bright hues of her magnificent red hair. Moments where he feels absolutely content and at peace with the world around him are rare and far between, so he tries to enjoy them as much as possible. He knows that once they reach their destination he'll be back in work and survival mode, but for this fleeting afternoon, he wants to hold onto this moment just for a little while. He looks at the rear view and shoots Sammy an easygoing smile and returns his gaze to the road, satisfied when Sammy smiles back. Rachel leans over and plants a gentle kiss on his cheek and his grin widens as her body brushes with his, evoking responses in both of them. He feels the excitement rush through his body at the contact and even though it's the middle of the afternoon he already wants her again and if her increased heart rate is any indication, she wants him too. He feels confident, powerful, and alive, and in times like these, life feels simple and defined- he loves his family, he loves his girl, and he loves his car.

Ever since he's been raised to hunt and he's travelled all over the United States to do this, he's also wanted a normal job and a family, and while he doesn't have a normal job right now, he's got everything else. He's got a younger brother with whom he gets along great most of the time and he's got a girlfriend who is his equal, even if she wasn't raised as a hunter. Together, the two of them bolster him; they keep him sane when the hunt gets to be too intense and dark and they ground him just by being who they are. Sammy's family; there's nothing he wouldn't do to protect him and keep him safe, and as for Rachel, he's decided that even if he may never get the chance to have a 9-5 job or a cute house in the suburbs or the proverbial 2.5 kids, he wants to stay alive long enough to give Rachel everything he can, because she's proven to him that she's worth it. He used to make fun of guys who were into all that touchy-feely chick flick crap (including Sammy), but he's realized that he's fallen just as hard, even if he knows that having soap opera moments isn't really his and Rachel's thing. He doesn't tell anyone, because this isn't freakin' Romeo and Juliet or a Hallmark channel movie, but he's even started to squirrel some money away to buy her an engagement ring, especially on nights when he's cleaning up at the poker table. In this chaotic life he leads, filled with unanswered questions, unexplained phenomena, danger mixed in with excitement, and unexpected circumstances and people, she provides him with an anchor into the non-supernatural world and to his own humanity, partially because she didn't grow up in his world but she is still similar to him in her no-bullshit personality, love of danger and risk-taking, and overall gumption.

In this past year, he's watched his girlfriend mature into a better person and become comfortable in her own skin. What started out as a connection based upon physical attraction and chemistry has deepened into a relationship grounded in respect and love. He's 26; he's been with girls before and a pretty girl has always been a nice distraction from his otherwise chaotically inconsistent life, but it takes a special girl to make him want to commit, and in her own completely unique Rachel Gatina way, she's earned that place in his heart and she'd done a pretty good job of keeping it. She's 21 this year, but she's always been sophisticated and it doesn't feel like there's much of an age gap between them at all.

_It was a typical Friday night in New York. The music in the club was pounding loud and there's lots of people out on the dance floor, but Dean and Sam were just nursing their first shots, content to just watch the action for the moment when she walked in. She was breathtaking, with bright auburn hair that fell straight down her slender shoulders, a halter top green dress that ended just before her knees, giving Dean a nice look at her cleavage and her slender long legs, and she's carefully made up. Her gaze swept around the room in a casual way, and when her brown eyes met his green ones, he knew that she's seen him and she's checked him out in the same way he just did. He got up from the table to join her on the dance floor, and his moves to seek her across the club were as deliberate as the ones she makes to place herself within the centre of his line of sight. He likes a girl who's direct and knows what she wants, and at this moment, they've both made up their minds. Dean went up to her, giving his signature rakish smile and he's a good observer; he's seen her draw a quick breath before settling back down into supposed nonchalance and he knows that he's having an effect on her. As he got closer, Dean noticed that she's even hotter up close, and her looks, body, and dance moves are all as intoxicating as the shot of whiskey he just had. An hour later, they find themselves making out in the back corner of the club on a chaise, unable to get their lips or their hands off one another and Dean knows that he has to get back to Sam because he promised him they'd still meet up at 1am, no matter what happened. He ends up bringing Rachel back to the table with him (they're already holding hands at this point), and introduces her to Sam as they sit for another round of drinks._

"_Are you guys visiting in New York?" Rachel asked, sipping from her martini._

"_Yeah, we're looking forward to some down time. Sammy here likes to work but I can use a break, especially with a pretty girl like you." He gave her a wink as he easily slid an arm around her shoulders. She gave a slight roll of her eyes but she didn't tell him to move his arm, so he figured that it was okay. _

"_Well, I think it'd be great to check out the Metropolitan while I'm here," Sam chipped in. "I'm thinking of even making a day trip out of it. Dean you wanna go?" _

_Rachel must have seen the bored look on his face at the mention of an art gallery, so she did something that surprised him. She reached into her clutch purse and took out a key card._

"_Here," She slid it across to Sam. "The hotel I'm staying at is a quick walk to the Met. I can probably find a way to keep Dean from being bored while you're enjoying art. Why don't you just sleep in my room tonight so you can get an early start, and I'll just stay with Dean?"_

_She's definitely stated her intentions and both of them just stared at the key card in slight shock for a moment, him especially because while he definitely knew that she liked him and was probably interested in doing a lot more than just make out, he didn't think she'd be so upfront, but he liked it. She tugged onto the lapels of his leather jacket to bring him closer to her, and gave him a searing kiss that left him wanting more._

"_Do you think that's a good idea?" She asked him in a soft and seductive voice, bringing her body so close to his that there's barely any room left between them. He barely gave a coherent reply, able to only nod before pulling her back to him. At some point, Sam told him to answer his phone if he called but Dean vaguely heard him, and then it was just the two of them, engrossed in one another._

_He felt like he was living in one hot New York minute for the entire week- they had gone through the entire box of condoms that he had stashed in the Impala, and for the first two days Sam had to practically break down the door to take Dean's attention away from Rachel. It had never felt so good with any girl before: her delicate curves were a nice contrast against his muscular frame, she fit exactly into his arms, her kisses left him breathless, and her energy levels and enthusiasm matched his. Dean was usually more like a "love 'em and leave 'em" type, but Rachel brought out something else in him. She was bold, confident, but also brash; and because Dean was a good observer he also saw hints of insecurity and Rachel's desire for someone to love her just for her, and not just her face, body, or money. _

_It was in the middle of the week that he also realized that he enjoyed her company just as much as he enjoyed her looks and body and had started to confide in her. It was when they started spending more time together than either of them expected that Dean realized he had found someone whom he not only enjoyed making out with, but could also spend down time with. She was an intriguing mixture of being extroverted, witty and sarcastic mixed in with the ability to be sweet and generous, and he saw glimpses of these different facets of her personality throughout the week when they would be having conversations on the ferry, playing pool, or even just having pie at a diner on Staten Island. She made him grin with her bold flirtatiousness, laugh when she made a wisecrack, and she made him smile when she did something unexpectedly tender, like getting him an extra large cup of coffee made just the way he liked it first thing in the morning. _

_He wasn't exactly a romantic type of a guy normally, but Dean found himself holding her hand while they were walking around Manhattan and placing an arm around her shoulder when they went sightseeing. It just occurred very naturally, they had begun to hold hands in order to navigate through the busy streets of New York together, and now it became a part of their interactions. It was one morning when Rachel had been feeling completely comfortable dressed only in her jeans and a pretty patterned bra while she was brushing her hair, and he had emerged from the shower with only a towel on and had placed his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck that Dean realized he had fallen so hard for this girl that he wanted her in his life even after they left New York. _

_When he had told her what he did and the look of disbelief had appeared on her face, Dean had been positive that the week had come to an end and he was being rudely awakened back into a reality where he had one night stands and having a girlfriend was a luxury that he couldn't afford. He thought she would just be like Cassie and fight with him and eventually reject him, so he had been surprised she was still there when he came back after he and Sam had disposed of the demon they had been tracking. He had looked at her suspiciously, almost not believing her when she told him that what he did didn't matter to her but when he looked up into her unwavering gaze he saw the truth behind her words. That took courage, and Dean had always been impressed by courage. He opened up his arms back to Rachel, and as she returned into them, Dean felt a sense of completion that he hadn't felt in a very long time. Later that night, when he had been on top of Rachel in bed and was kissing her, he took another glance and saw all of her in that moment: beautiful but broken, bold but vulnerable, sassy but also insecure, and all with the underlying current of being a person who had a better self underneath. He found himself whispering those three words "I love you" in that moment, and he didn't think she had heard, but she had whispered them back too, and they had lain there, sated and entwined in each others' arms, both of them navigating through a new emotional level that neither of them were naturally comfortable with. _

_After they parted ways in New York, Dean had been in love with Rachel but wasn't naive enough to think that having a relationship with her could realistically work out. After all, he travelled all over the country while she lived in North Carolina; and she had never come across the supernatural threats he faced on a weekly if not daily basis, even if she insisted that she was okay with it. They called and texted each other occasionally, but for Dean, it was such a weak replacement compared to what they shared in New York. He initially tried to get his mind off her by flirting with other women, but when the moment came where they were inviting him to stay the night or to do more than just flirt, an image of Rachel came uninvited into his mind, and all of a sudden, he didn't want those other women any more. _

He's always liked pretty and attractive girls; and Rachel does not disappoint. Rachel's fiery red hair that he loves to run his hands through, pretty face with beautiful brown eyes and soft lips, taut and toned body, a rack he can't keep his eyes off of, slender and shapely legs that go on forever, and cute derriere are all enough to drive him crazy and he can't get enough of her. She looks just as good whether she's wearing a party dress like when they first met; or in one of his t-shirts when they're going to sleep; or jeans and a top and her leather jacket when they're on the road or hunting. Every place they go, Dean is prepared to give his best "She's my girl and don't mess with me" glare to other guys because he knows how guys think and he doesn't want other guys checking out his girl or thinking dirty thoughts about her. She's confident of her own looks and sexuality in the same way he is; but the fact that he's the only one she dresses to impress now and she's the one he saves his most charming behaviour for makes the physical aspect of their relationship even more passionate than ever.

_He and Sam were at a bar in Kentucky when he had suddenly left after declining an offer from a pretty blonde and he had just stood next to the Impala, wondering what happened to him when he heard his brother come up behind him._

"_Dean, what's wrong?" Sam had asked._

"_I can't stop thinking about her," He had blurted out. He leaned against the Impala and took in a deep breath. Sam didn't have to ask who it was to know who Dean was talking about._

"_Yeah, I noticed that you haven't been flirting with many women since," Sam had offered. "And Dean, it's okay to admit that you're still in love with her."_

"_Every time I look at another woman, I compare her to Rachel." He had confessed, putting his head into his hands, "And every time, they don't match up. I thought that I could put her behind and move on, like I always do, but this is turning me into some freakin' sap, for crying out loud."_

_Sam stood beside him in companionable silence, sensing as if he just needed to sort out his thoughts. _

"_I loved Cass, y'know? When we broke up I didn't want to let anyone else in because in the end, I always leave and they always end up hurt. Rachel was supposed to be a one-night stand; a hot girl in a club in New York that was just supposed to be a fling and a week later, I told her that I loved her and I meant it, Sammy. I saw the real Rachel, and being with her reminded me that if I was a jerk and if I pushed her away, I'd lose her just like I lost Cass all those years ago. She still wants to keep in touch and now I can't stop thinking about how much I want her, but she'll never share our life. I just want to move on before it hurts too much, but I can't." Dean realized he was rambling, but he didn't care._

_Sam gave him a rueful smile. "You know, most of the time you choose bimbos, but I actually like Rachel. She's a sharp girl; the kind who keeps you on your toes and she can actually stand up to you and call you out on your crap, even though she cares about you. I saw how the two of you looked at each other when we were in New York and I can see that you still want to be with her. You know, Dean, maybe you should be telling her all of this instead of me."_

"_What would be the point Sammy? I can't drag her into this and the second she sees what we do and is a part of it, her life would be in danger." He replied bitterly. "I can't let her share in this world Sammy, because the second she does, her life changes and it's not fair to her. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her because of me." _

_He had been about ready to drop the conversation when his cell rang. He recognized her number as soon as he saw it, and he picked up. _

"_Hey," She started the conversation in a flirtatious voice, and he smiled._

"_Hey, babe," He returned. He couldn't help it, but a grin appeared on his face. _

"_Dean, I miss you and I love you," He heard her say on the other line in a soft voice, "and I would never ask you to do this if it wasn't important, but we need to talk. Could you please come to Tree Hill?" _

_Dean paused for a moment, as he heard the seriousness in her voice._

"_I miss you too," He admitted. "I haven't been able to get you off my mind."_

_He saw Sam give him a "I told you so," look so he shot back to Sam, "Sammy, go play with your dolls and stop laughing at me."_

"_I want to see you and I'll make it worth your while, I promise." She continued. _

"_I know you will, babe, and I have a few ideas about how you can start," Dean joked. Joking helped him deal with everything else in life, including more difficult conversations. _

"_So can you come to Tree Hill?" She asked, wanting to make sure he was okay with it._

"_Yes," He replied. "Let me and Sammy wrap things up here and I'll stop by Tree Hill when we're done. Give me a week or two."_

"_Perfect," He could almost see her smiling on the other end of the line. She gave him her address and they exchanged some other brief news, and when Dean hung up, the grin widening on his face, Sam simply smiled. _

"_I'm guessing Tree Hill is our next destination?" Sam asked, already knowing the answer. Dean gave his brother a brief nod, before opening the doors to the Impala. He's forgotten all his previous doubts and concerns for now, and he's focused on finishing up the hunt so that they can reach Tree Hill._

"_Got an early day tomorrow, Sammy, if we want to finish up here in Kentucky," He grins as he starts the engine and listens to his car purr, almost as if in agreement._

_Until they arrived in Tree Hill, he hadn't been aware of how acutely he had missed Rachel's presence, and until he saw her again and they fell back into their rhythm of flirtatious bantering, passionate physical intimacy, honest conversation and even moments of comfortable silence and introspection. Being with Rachel in Tree Hill had felt so safe. It felt great to be able to sleep in without worrying about hunting for just a few days and it felt even better to have Rachel curled up against him in her comfortable bed. _

_Dean had a brief flash of what their life might look like if they both could have normal lives one morning when he headed downstairs to find her and Sam in the kitchen; his brother was reading the paper with an empty plate and a mug beside him and Rachel was standing at the kitchen island, making one of the largest sandwiches he had ever seen. The scene looked so comfortable that Dean forgot about how hungry he was, and he just stood in the doorway, absorbing it and filing it away in his memory for later. _

"_Morning," Rachel had looked up and given him a smile. It wasn't her seductive smile or her "everything's fine" brave smile, but it was a genuine smile that reminded him that underneath all the walls she placed around herself was a girl kinder and gentler than most people would give her credit for._

"_Morning Rach; morning Sammy," He greeted them, and as he walked over, he gave his brother a pat on the back, and when he reached the counter, he gently placed his hands on Rachel's hips and gives her a fond kiss on the top of her head. "That looks good."_

"_I figured you'd be hungry," Rachel replied with a wink. He watched her put the finishing touches on the sandwich and it struck him that even though they've only spent one consecutive week together, he's already comfortable with her that it feels like it's been longer than that. When she finished, she handed him the plate but he placed it down beside him before gathering her into his embrace. He's missed being able to do that; she's always felt a bit fragile against his stronger frame, but her curves fit into his body in all the right places, and she fit nicely within his arms. "Thanks babe."_

_He saw Sam smiling from the corner of his eye knew that Sam was going to tease him later about being exactly the kind of guy that he makes fun of Sam for, but Rachel makes him happy. _

Dean does not see himself being Mr. Domestic; he's always been more comfortable being a bachelor. However, he has noticed that since Rachel's been living and travelling with them and they've been together as a couple, he has adjusted some of his typical guy habits, like no longer leaving his muddy shirts on the floor and not picking them up until he absolutely has to. They occasionally bicker good-naturedly about why he still leaves his stuff strewn all over their side of the room, and she points out that Sam can neatly put his things away while he counters in his own bantering way that Sam's always been a girl, but overall, they manage. They've even managed to fall into some couple-ish domestic routines, such as Rachel leaving him short messages in the steamed up mirrors of the bathroom while he's in the shower and him cleaning their hunting equipment while she takes care of getting the mud and stains out of their clothes. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but once in a while when he and Sam go on hunts that he doesn't allow her to go on because she's still too new at this, and he comes back and he sees her doing something semi-domestic like folding his clothes and putting them neatly into his bag, he gets a brief fantasy in his mind that one day he can come home from his normal day job and she'll have dinner ready and they can just be one of those normal couples whose dinner conversations don't involve paranormal predators.

_That week, he told her a bit about his travels and his hunts, and she took him to meet her friends and out around Tree Hill. He liked meeting Brooke and Mouth; he could definitely see how much they cared about Rachel. When he met Mouth, Mouth had given him the weary once-over look, and Dean had understood. Mouth cared about Rachel as much as he did and he hadn't wanted Rachel to get hurt. He had also noticed Mouth checking Rachel out discreetly and Dean wondered how much Rachel knew that one of her best friends had fallen so hard for her. He doesn't normally have 'bro-mance' types of moments, but one evening, he joined Mouth at the bar at Tric while waiting for the drinks they were going to bring to the girls. _

"_I'm not going to hurt her," He started off. Mouth gave him a surprised look but was quiet. "I love her and I know you do too, so neither of us wants to see her get hurt."_

"_How did you..." Mouth trails off into silence._

"_The way you look at her is the same way I look at her, man." _

"_Look, Dean," Mouth sighed. "Rachel's really vulnerable emotionally, especially when it comes to taking a chance on her feelings and trusting others. It took her so long to open up to me and Brooke. I just don't want to see her hurt. It's not that I think you're a bad guy, Dean, it's just that this happened so fast and she came back from being in New York for a week and then she told us that she was in love with you and wanted to be with you. We had no idea who she was talking about until you showed up."_

_Dean was quiet for a couple of moments, just absorbing Mouth's words. "You're afraid I'm going to break her heart."_

"_Yes," Mouth admitted. "I am. I'm sorry, Dean, but it's true."_

_He nodded. "I'd do the same if I were you. Fair enough. You can even ask my brother Sammy, and he'll tell you that I've never fallen for another girl the way I've fallen for Rachel. I'm not going to ask for your blessing or even approval, but I want you to know that I would never want to hurt her." _

"_I know you would never willingly want to hurt her, but Dean, the reality is that we're the ones left picking up the pieces if anything ever happens. Brooke and I have watched Rachel get hurt by other people before, and we just want to make sure we're looking out for her. Rachel told me that you travel a lot in what you do, and she doesn't want to hear this from me, but that's going to affect your relationship. Listen, Dean, Rachel is one of my best friends and I just want to make sure that if she's going to choose someone, she's not going to be disappointed in her choice."_

_While Dean knew that what Mouth was saying was probably true, he was starting to get irritated that Mouth was so stubborn in thinking that the only thing Dean could do was hurt Rachel. He also couldn't resist being slightly jealous of how well Mouth knew Rachel; they had their own jokes and dynamics, and Dean was slightly jealous that Mouth got to share in those day-to-day moments with Rachel and have a completely normal life with her while Dean had to resign himself to being okay with phone calls and text messages. However, Mouth wasn't sharing a bed with Rachel and Dean was. Luckily before he could reply, Rachel had walked over, looking gorgeous in a white skirt and a pretty lavender halter top that set off the soft tones of her red hair and she had given him her trademark seductive smirk. He smirked back as an automatic reaction, but Rachel's smirk fell when she saw the tense body language between the two guys. She gave Mouth a look that seemed to be slightly stern, as if realizing what the topic of conversation between Mouth and himself had been, but when she crossed over to Dean, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss. _

"_I was wondering if you boys decided to go out of state to get those drinks," She teased. She tugged on his hand, "C'mon, we've gotten a table and we're ready." _

_Mouth took some of the drinks and left a few for Rachel and Dean to carry, walking ahead of them to give them some space. As they walked back, Rachel said in a lower voice,_

"_Dean, Mouth and I are just friends. You have no reason to be jealous. You're the one that I love and want to be with. I know he's probably being protective, but I told him that this was my decision to make and that I wanted him to at least give you a chance before judging you. "_

_Her ability to read him so perfectly threw him off a little bit, so he covered it up with his trademark cockiness._

"_Babe, I'd never be jealous because I know you'd pick a hot guy like me every time." She rolled her eyes, and his tone grew more serious. "He's just afraid that I'm going to hurt you, and he doesn't trust me, not that I expect him to."_

"_He and Brooke have just been my friends for so long and they've seen me go through a lot," Rachel explained. "They just want to protect me. But they know that I care about you a lot and they both know that I wanted them to give you a fair chance." _

_They'd reached the table where the rest of her friends are sitting, and Dean didn't want to continue this private conversation in front of a crowd. He just smiled at Rachel and pecked her quickly on the lips, drawing a squeal of excitement from Brooke. Brooke at least seemed to be more encouraging of his relationship with Rachel, not that Dean needs their approval or blessing. He just wants Rachel to be happy and he knows that her friends mean a lot to her._

_That week in Tree Hill also showed him how selfish he was going to be if he asked her to come with him. He had seen the privileged and upper-middle class lifestyle she had, but when she was so hospitable to himself and Sam, he had been touched by her generosity. He also felt guilty that if she ever decided to come with him, her standards of living would dramatically change. _

He's always known how to take care of himself and Sam, and to live without a lot, but ever since Rachel's been with him he's always felt a bit bad that he's not able to give her the kind of lifestyle that she's used to. For her sake, he's less reckless with money, especially when playing pool and poker: he still plays to win and he often does due to his skill, but he's also cognizant of the fact that he's got a girl he loves that he wants to take care of. He knows that she loves him enough to share his life with him, but he's not naive enough to think that making that the transition was an easy one. Rachel's adjusted surprisingly well though, and outside of the initial shock of sleeping in the first seedy motel room they did after they left North Carolina, when he had felt her tossing and turning beside him on the lumpy mattress before he had finally pulled her into his arms and she had fallen asleep curled up against him, she's been pretty cool about it all. She's grown up moving to and settling down in different places, but he knows that doesn't make it any easier. She's learned to live with less, and Dean saw another side of Rachel when she loaned a sweater to a girl they had helped and had told the girl to keep it because the sweater looked even better on her. In those moments, Dean sees beyond her 'pretty and popular party-girl' persona to see someone who wants to do the right thing and wants to be a good person, and that earns her points in his book.

_That spring night on her porch when she had told him that she wanted to go with him, Dean somehow knew that this moment would eventually come in their relationship, but he had always put it off. When Rachel had told him that she wanted to come with him and Sam, his initial answer had been no. She had pushed and asked, but he had refused. That conversation ended with him basically taking off, and later on, when he had been wandering aimlessly around Tree Hill, it basically struck him that their relationship might end very quickly if he kept saying no. He didn't see their relationship lasting very long if the only way they could see each other was if he kept returning to Tree Hill. As he drove through the quiet streets of Tree Hill, conflicted between his desire for Rachel to be in his life and his desire to keep her safe, the more he drove, the more he realized he was making a mistake. Out of all the women he had been with, not one of them had ever asked to come with him after they found out what he did, and certainly none of them had made him feel the way that Rachel had made him feel. Basically, the girl he had fallen for had asked to share in his life and had done so despite knowing of the danger that accompanied it, and he had been getting ready to potentially shut her out of his life forever. That night the walls he had previously placed around himself began to come down. He drove back to Rachel's place, and he simply asked her if she meant it, and he had held his breath while waiting for her reply, but Rachel confirmed what she said earlier. As he wrapped his arms around her waist and as they spooned together in her bed, Dean felt as if a huge burden had been lifted and it was a defining moment of their relationship. _

Rachel is gutsy- she knows what she wants and she goes after it. He was impressed by that move, and it turned out to be the move that led them to staying together. This courage still impresses him, and he's seen different versions of it since then- once in Tree Hill when they had gone to Tric together and they had found some guys harassing her friend Mouth and some of his friends and she had jumped in with Mace when she saw Mouth in the middle of the confrontation, and other times when they're in a hunt together and she acts upon her instinct to join the fight, despite going against a bigger and more fearsome opponent. Before she joined them, he and Sam had to train her. With his years of hunting experience, he was able to train her in all the basics of self-defence and he discovered that she had good aim and was very agile, most likely because of her experience in cheerleading. She wasn't as strong as he and Sam were, but she compensated for that with her quickness and good aim. Best of all, she was a quick learner. They've adjusted their hunting approaches slightly since Rachel's joined them: she plays more of a sniper role and while he and Sam are more comfortable with fighting hand to hand, and Rachel's made a specialty of being able to sneak up on their opponents to try to help bring them down. He makes her practice and train whenever they're not actively hunting, and he now trusts her aim almost as much as he trusts his own. She's as a tenacious hunter as he is; her willingness to take these kinds of risks scares him sometimes, especially when he's worried about her safety, but he'll never be able to say that she doesn't try.

"_Rachel! What were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous that was?" He yelled as he picked himself up off the floor. He's all right, but he's still breathing a bit heavily from the fight with the demon they had been tracking for about three days. "If that son of a bitch even saw you sneaking up on it, you'd be seriously injured by now."_

_She's still holding the shotgun and she shrugs. "You taught me that stealth is valuable."_

"_Rachel, I had that situation under control," He argues. He can see Sam from the corner of his eye with a 'I'm not even going to wade into this one' look that he gets whenever Dean and Rachel are arguing._

"_Dean, what is your problem? I just killed the demon we were going after. Sam was knocked off to the other side of the room, and your gun wasn't within reach when you were struggling with it." She shoots back. Her hand not holding the shotgun is on her hips and he knows that's her classic defensive posture._

"_My problem is that I told you to stay back there until Sammy and I had the situation under control!" He shouts back, dusting himself off. "Why can't you listen to me and keep yourself safe? This isn't the first time you've done it either- are you trying to worry me to death?"_

"_Dean, I just made your life easier and all you do is ask why I didn't follow your orders! If I had listened to you, your life would've been in more danger than it already was!" She's yelling back now. In these situations, they're both fiery and spirited and it's hard to get them to calm down. He can see Sam looking back and forth between the two of them, wondering if it's time for a referee, but Dean's not about to drop the point._

"_Rachel, I've been hunting for most of my life- I can handle these situations, and if I needed you to help, I would've hollered for it. You jumped in despite knowing what the plan was and you put yourself in danger. I already have enough to worry about without worrying about you on top of all of it." He angrily picks up his gun off the floor and he starts looking around to see if anything else was dropped in the heat of the fight. He loves her but he still wants to be calling the shots. Maybe it's because he's always had to take care of Sam and he's used to being responsible for other people, or maybe it's the fact that he's so scared about the consequences of losing her._

"_Our lives are in danger all the time! I was trying to buy you and Sam some time at the very least and it ended up being an accurate shot right to its heart. Dean, I was just trying to help. You don't have to be such a jerk about it." Rachel comments bitterly. She's looking downcast now, and she drops the argument as she starts to walk back towards the Impala. Sam shoots him a knowing glance but Dean just raises his arms up in frustration. _

"_She drives me crazy when she does this," He rants to Sam as they walk back to the car, Rachel walking far ahead of them and giving him the silent treatment. "She's going to get herself killed one day."_

"_Dean, if you had a perfect shot and that had been me or Rachel on the ground, would you have taken it?" Sam asks. _

"_In a heartbeat," Dean snaps back. "It's the two of you we're talking about here."_

"_Well, maybe Rachel took that shot because she doesn't want to see you get hurt any more than you want to see her get hurt, and she was thinking that you were more important than the risk, Dean." Sam claps him on the back, before catching up with Rachel. He sees Sam speak softly to her, Rachel's head shaking angrily as she responds and he catches the glimpse of her brilliant red hair in the moonlight and he sighs. It's no use talking about this with her right now, he knows that it always takes them some time to cool off. Later on, when they get back to the dingy motel they're staying at, he crawls into bed beside her after a shower and he reaches for her, but she doesn't turn around and he sighs deeply._

"_Rachel, baby, next time, please don't give me a huge scare like that," is all he manages to come up with. He's tired and he doesn't want to end the night on an argument._

"_Why is it okay that you and Sam get to risk your lives and I don't?" Rachel's voice is quiet. She remains distant, as if she's trying to curl up as far away from him as much as possible. She always does this when they're arguing- it's as if she's afraid to let him in. "Is it because you don't trust me?" _

"_No, that's not it." His reply is emphatic. He touches her shoulder and slowly turns her around so she's facing him. She looks upset and a few unshed tears are present in her eyes, and he regrets some of the harsh words he's said earlier. He brushes some of her hair out of her face and he tries again, "I was upset because I saw the huge risk in what you did and I don't want to see you get hurt."_

_She looks at him silently for a moment before saying softly, "I don't like watching you fight alone while I'm forced to sit on the sidelines, knowing that your life is in danger and mine isn't. I'm going to jump in if I think you're going to get seriously injured and I can do something to prevent that. I know this isn't what you want to hear, baby, but I can't stop myself from doing that and I won't."_

_A smile unknowingly creeps up on his face, but he doesn't want to just let it go at that. "Rachel, what you did was very brave, but also very risky, and every time you do something like that it worries the hell out of me because I don't know if it's going to work, but I know that I can't stop you."_

"_Dean, I know that if it was Sam or I in danger, you would've done the exact same thing, even if it was risky for you. I did what I did because I feel the same way. I know I can't stop you from worrying about me," She replies, putting a finger on his lips. "I can't promise you I'm going to play safe if it's your life, so let's just try to make it work the best we can, okay?"_

_He realizes that they're both right and they both have great reasons. _

"_C'mere," He manages to get out, wrapping his arms around her as she scoots over next to him. He pulls the blankets over them and Rachel whispers that she loves him before she settles into sleep. Whenever they end a serious argument, she ends up telling him that she loves him, as if she's unsure of whether he knows that, but he finds it to be reassuring. He always tells her that just because they argue doesn't mean that it's over. They've been through enough together that one argument doesn't end the history and the experiences they've shared. He's up for a few moments afterwards, and before he falls asleep, it struck Dean how much courage Rachel has developed._

Having Rachel share in his life with him also meant that she had to learn how to deal with how dangerous and dark their lifestyle was. He had warned her that being with him was not going to be like the week in the New York she had spent with him, and while Rachel had understood that, it wasn't until that she started living and travelling with them that she could fully grasp what he was talking about. He didn't think she really understood the intensity of their lifestyle until she lived it. He remembered that the first time she had gone on a hunt with them, while her second shot from the crossbow was enough to disable the demon and allowing him to dive in for the kill, she had stood stunned for a few moments just absorbing what she had seen and coming to terms with the new life she was now leading before he had crossed over to her and gathered her in his arms. She had clung to him for a few moments while he had stroked her hair while holding her wordlessly. Their first couple of hunts had been the rites of passage that transformed her from being a carefree teenager to a more serious young woman.

_Dean was roughly awoken from his slumber when he was hit in the side by an arm. His eyes immediately snapped open and he took a quick glance around as he sat up, only to see Rachel thrashing around in her sleep, mumbling incoherent words while her face was twisted in fear. _

"_Rachel!" He grabbed her arms, trying to still her, but she was having none of it. He could hear Sam waking up with a groan in the other bed, trying to figure out what was going on._

"_Baby, it's all right, I'm here." He held on more firmly to her arms and he tried again. The thrashing in his arms stilled, even if she was still shaking her head in her sleep and murmuring what sounded like "no". Sam took a seat beside him on the other side of the bed, looking down at Rachel with a mixture of sympathy and concern._

"_Baby, you're safe now," Dean said in a softer voice, closer to her ear. A few seconds later, Rachel's beautiful chestnut brown eyes stared at him in confusion but also relief. "It was just a nightmare."_

_Rachel slowly took in the sight of him hovering over her with his hands on her shoulders and a look of concern on his face, and Sam sitting on the other side of the bed, holding onto her hand that he had clasped. _

"_Dean?" She asked, sounding unlike the proud and confident Rachel that he knew. _

_He gathered her in his arms, stroking her back and patting her hair and whispering over and over again, "I'm here, baby, it'll be okay."_

"_Oh my god, Dean, it felt so real," Rachel gasped, clinging onto him. She usually never clung onto him like that, but Dean could see that she was still shaken up. "I dreamed that the yellow-eyed demon killed all of us and we all died. I couldn't do anything to stop it when it went after you."_

"_Rachel, it's over now, you're here with us." Sam gave her hand a squeeze as he smiled at her. Dean had never been so grateful that while Rachel and Sam didn't always agree on everything, Sam treated her just like she was a Winchester and was there for Rachel when she needed it the most. _

"_Baby, you're safe." He repeated, pulling back from his embrace of her to make eye contact. Rachel's eyes didn't lose their sadness, however._

"_We're never going to be safe, are we Dean?" She asked him in a voice barely above a whisper. "We're still hunting that yellow-eyed demon and there are always more threats out there, even if we eliminate it."_

_He's quiet for a moment, acknowledging the truth of her words. She's right- they may spend their entire lives hunting that yellow-eyed demon and its offspring, and they may never be able to settle down and have a normal life. In this moment, he doesn't have it in him to lie to her or to tell her that it's not true._

"_Maybe not," He replies, staring deeply into her eyes. He reaches up to gently lift up her chin and brushes a soft kiss across her lips. Dean's normally not this kind of guy and he doesn't normally do this, but Rachel brings out his softer side. "Maybe we won't ever be safe, and I don't want to lie to you because I love you, but you will always have me, Rachel. "_

_He repeats himself for emphasis. "You will always have me."_

_He's not embarrassed that Sam's watching both of them, impressed by what he's seeing. Rachel continues to gaze into his eyes for a few moments while she's letting that sink in, and suddenly her arms are around his neck and she's kissing him like she's never kissed him before, and he returns her kisses, passionate, hungry, and wanting. _

"_I feel safe when I'm with you, Dean," She says softly after their kiss ends. Sam is standing up now, giving them their space, but he and Rachel still have their arms around each other and faces so close that their foreheads are gently touching. _

"_I sometimes still feel scared when we're on the hunt, but I love you and I don't want to ever leave you." She adds and his heart soars with a tingly feeling that he's not used to having. He's never loved or treated any girl the way he treats Rachel and has certainly never bared so much of his heart or been so honest with anyone, except maybe Sam. He's never felt so complete and he definitely knows now that he didn't make the wrong decision when he allowed her to be part of his life. _

However, the hardest part of having Rachel with him is that he hates seeing her upset when he's hurt. Before, if he got seriously injured, Dad would just drive at top-speed to rush him to a hospital while Sam would keep him calm and that was a way of life, but the first time Rachel and Sam helped him to a doctor when he was hurt pretty badly Dean saw how scared she was. If it's relatively minor injuries that requires nothing heavier than a dressing, it's fine; he actually likes it when Rachel fusses over him and cleans his wounds, and he can't resist teasing her about how he has a hot nurse fantasy involving her, but for serious-looking injuries, she seems to be more afraid for him than he is. The first time they had gone to a doctor to check out a serious-looking wound, Rachel had looked like she was close to tears and he could see that she was doing everything she could to not completely melt down. His wound had hurt like hell, but it wasn't life-threatening, but seeing the tears in Rachel's eyes and seeing her so upset worried him even more. Rachel doesn't say it very often, but he knows that she's terrified of losing him every hunt they go on, and even though they've been together for more than a year now, he knows that this fear is still lingering at the back of her mind. He doesn't know how he can ever alleviate that fear from her, except that it gives him an extra incentive to stay alive for as long as he can and to be more careful when he's hunting.

Over time, Rachel's gotten better at adjusting to the physical realities of their lifestyle, but their relationship was certainly tested over the emotional scars he still carries inside him. He hadn't been prepared to tell her everything about Dad and his family. He had told her bits and pieces of what he knew about his father's disappearance and a little bit about how he lost his mother, but he could never tell her the entire story in one sitting because it hurt too much. Rachel had also grown up with absentee parents, so she understood a bit about what he was going through, but it wasn't until a rainy morning in the Pacific Northwest opened up her eyes to some of the pain that he's had to live with for at least a year now.

_He's pacing around outside in the parking lot trying to have a conversation with one of his leads; it's a chilly day in November and they're in Portland in Oregon, and he's not having a good day. One of his leads won't give him any further information on Dad even though Dean's pretty sure that he's not being told everything, and all the clues they've come up with so far have led nowhere and they don't make sense. Worse of all, he hasn't been sleeping that well because dreams that he had thought were gone and buried in the past had come back to haunt him, and even though he wakes up and all that remains is the sound of Sam's soft snoring in the other bed and the sight of Rachel curled up beside him, he can't shake off the uneasy feeling that there's something going on with Dad that he doesn't know about and it probably has to do with the yellow-eyed demon who killed Mom. He knows he hasn't been the best brother or boyfriend in the past couple of days; he's been more sarcastic to Sam than usual and he's been snappy towards Rachel. He can see that they're both worried about him; Sam has been talking to him in that soft 'Dean, it's okay to talk about your feelings' voice, and Rachel has been alternating between kissing him to get him to focus on something other than his nightmares or reminding him that he has to snap out of this funk eventually. He wants to hunt something; even just to get the sense of closure and accomplishment that he's one step closer to finding Dad and figuring out what is going on. Sam is at the public library, trying to get some research done and Rachel has volunteered to go get supplies while he's having this conversation, walking around in an empty parking lot, dressed in his rainproof outdoor jacket over his normal flannel button-up shirt and jeans._

"_Fine, if you're not going to tell me, I'm going to have to figure this out myself." He finally closes the conversation, sick of the minimal response at the other end of the line. He places his arms on the Impala and he even takes a few moments to just take a few deep breaths._

"_Dean," Rachel calls behind him. He turns around and she's walking towards him holding two cups of coffee, and she looks a bit worried as she registers the look of frustration on his face. He opens the door for her and she slips him a grateful smile as she gets in. He gets in on the other side, but he's silent for a few moments as she removes her hood and puts down her backpack after handing him his cup. He sips it: it's nice and hot and strong, just the way he likes it. He notes that even though she's not dressed like when they had first met in New York, he's still finds her just as pretty. These days she's decided to go for practical clothes like corduroy pants, hiking boots, and her winter jacket on over her sweater instead of the designer clothes she used to wear. She reaches over to squeeze his hand; hers is nice and warm from being indoors and holding coffee, and Dean just lets the warmth seep slowly through his body and he lets out a sigh._

"_He won't tell me anything, babe," He admits in a tired voice. "Dad's told him something or he's figured something out, and he's not willing to tell me, though God only knows why." _

_She puts down on her own cup and she slides across the seat to gently place her arms around him. It's like she can sense that he'll open up to her when it's time, and they sit there for a few minutes in the quiet. It feels good to have her warm body wrapped around his, and he likes that she doesn't push him to talk. _

"_I'm so tired of this, Rachel. I hate running around in circles and I hate that all of these clues lead nowhere. I really miss Dad and I just want to find him. I can't do this all by myself and I really do need him back." He finds that his own voice is husky and low from the unshed tears that are gathering behind his eyes and he just puts his head in his hands. He normally doesn't let these feelings overwhelm him, but right now he's just feeling exhausted and he just doesn't care. His relationship with Dad had always been complicated: full of expectations on his father's part, and Dean trying to prove to him that he's worthy of his trust and confidence, despite having this nagging feeling at the back of his mind that Dad loves Sam more and he's just using Dean because Dean's available. In spite of all of this though, Dad's been one of the few people who understood his lifestyle and his choices, especially before he had reunited with Sam and before Rachel. _

"_I know, baby," Rachel says softly. Her arms are still around him, but one of her hands reaches up to rub slow circles at the back of his neck. She doesn't say anything else; she just lets him have his private moments and she stays there with him until he feels like he's ready. When they're back on the road and he's just driving quietly, not being his usually loud and boisterous self, Rachel opens up her backpack and tosses a bag of Peanut M&Ms on his lap before giving him a soft smile and he smiles back, touched by her thoughtful gesture. Later on, he actually apologizes to Sammy for being such a dick in the past few days, and he gives Rachel a soft kiss and says "thank you", those two words and his expression speaking volumes. _

Sometimes listening to him is all she does and that's good enough for him. She doesn't nag and she doesn't keep insisting that he open up; instead she eventually tells him to snap out of it when it's starting to put a real strain on their interactions and Dean always thinks that she sounds like him with that "I'm not putting up with your crap anymore" attitude. He eventually opens up to her and he always finds her to be a better listener than would be expected. Sometimes these conversations have taken place as they're driving, or at night when they're just cleaning their gear and doing research, or even when they're about to fall asleep and he decides to let everything out and collapse into her arms. He's been surprised to even find that he's hidden and repressed more feelings and anxieties away than he thought, and a few times when he's been in her arms he's even cried. She doesn't tease him for being a sap when he cries; instead, she hands him some tissues or even quietly wipes the tears from his eyes and pecks him softly and talks about it with him. Dean is impressed with how she demonstrates how much she cares about him just by being there for him when he needs her the most.

That's one important thing about their relationship- they've been vulnerable with each other and told each other things that they've never told anyone else, and even now, Dean's still amazed at how far they've come from having a purely physical relationship in New York to one now where she's sharing in his life and his calling. She's actually one of his closest friends, besides being his girlfriend and his lover. He's given her his heart and all of who he is, and she's done the same. He's never been so happy and he's never felt as complete as he does now. He's ready to face whatever life throws at him and he's never felt as confident as when she's by his side and he knows that she loves him and supports him.

_They're sitting around a campfire that they've set up while travelling through a national park in Colorado. The night air is crisp and fresh and the shadow of the Rockies jut up against the glittering multitude of stars in the night sky. They've just finished a hunt and it was a particularly difficult one. Dean feels relaxed, he's leaning back against a log, Rachel's resting her head on his shoulder, and Sammy's across from them, and they're all sipping a beer each. Sammy's telling a story from his Stanford days while he and Rachel are just listening and they're all enjoying each other's company. _ _He's got one arm wrapped securely around Rachel and every once in a while he brushes a kiss across her hair and she nuzzles his neck. Not far away, a tent is set up and they're going to flip a coin to see who sleeps in the tent and who sleeps in the Impala. _

"_That's a great story, Sammy," Rachel gives a genuine smile and sits up to stretch after the story's done. Dean notices that stretching her arms gives him a peek of her toned midriff and pushes her cleavage up even higher and he can't help but check her out; she's gorgeous and they both know it. "I feel like it's been a very long week and I'm getting ready to turn in."_

"_It was," Sam agrees. "I think we all worked very hard."_

"_I think you both did a great job and should be proud of yourselves," He's proud of both of them- Rachel for becoming much better at moving stealthily and quietly and Sammy at hand to hand fighting. Sammy gives him a shy smile while Rachel simply beams at him, pleased by the compliment. She's also looking up and down at him and he knows what she's thinking because he's thinking the same thing. They've been so focused on the hunt for the past week and a half that by the time they get to bed, they're both exhausted and all they want to do is get some sleep. The fact that they've been sharing a room with Sam for two weeks also meant that they couldn't do much more than sleep when they're in bed together. Dean's getting a bit impatient with only being able to kiss and spoon with Rachel when they both want to do so much more. _

"_I think we should turn in," Rachel suggests and she's wrapping her arms around him and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. Her hand slides up underneath his shirt and caresses his muscular back. _

_He can't stop the grin from appearing on his face and he turns to Sam._

"_Sammy, why don't you take the tent tonight? You can have it all to yourself." He asks him. Now that the pressure of the week is gone, he's thought of a perfect way to end this week- making love to Rachel and falling asleep in her arms. Nothing turns him on more than making love to his girl in his car and even though it's a bit cramped in the Impala's backseat for both of them, Rachel loves it too because it means they can have an excuse to stay in each other's arms without admitting that they just want to snuggle. _

_Sammy begins, "Well, the tent's bigger and there's probably more room for all of us since the car won't be very comfortable," And then he stops when he realizes what Dean is really asking and his eyes widen a bit. Dean can't help but affectionately roll his eyes; he and Rachel have been together for a year and sometimes Sam still doesn't clue in as to when they want alone time. _

"_We'll be fine," Rachel assures Sam, giving him a smile. She lets go of Dean and starts cleaning up, and they all help, Sam because he's actually tired and wants to go to bed, and Dean because he can't wait to be alone with Rachel. They put out the campfire and put away their things, and Sam bids them goodnight._

"_Thanks Sammy," Dean gives his brother a smile._

"_No problem," Sam returns. "Although, if I were you, I'd pick the tent." _

_With a quick grin, Sam lopes off to the tent, and Dean turns to Rachel with a huge grin on his face._

"_That took way too long," Rachel teases as she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him in for a kiss. Dean eagerly kisses her back and he feels the tension slide away from both of them as they share their kiss. He picks her up and Rachel lets out a surprised by excited squeal of delight as his strong arms wrap around her waist and his hands settle on her butt, and she responds by quickly wrapping her legs around him to keep herself from falling, even as they continue kissing. He walks them to the Impala with ease, and he opens the door before gently carrying her inside and setting her on the backseat. He looks at her and admires her for a few seconds before she's tugging him closer for another kiss. Her response is just as passionate and she's running her hands all over his back and up his shirt as he slowly lowers them both down, and he knows that this isn't just a physical act for them anymore- it's an act of emotional intimacy. He can't help but kiss her everywhere: on her lips, nuzzling her neck and kissing it, making his way down so that he brushes kisses on her cleavage and skin; basically letting her know how much he wants her. Within the next few moments, he's let Rachel strip him of his jacket and his t-shirt, while he's unbuttoned her cotton cardigan top and taken off her tank top to reveal her toned midriff and a simple but pretty black bra. Before they go any further, she twines her fingers with his and they smile at each other before she pulls him down by clasping both his hands and tugging him down until their chests are touching and he lies on top of her trying not to crush her with his weight as they lie there, holding hands. He listens to her quickening heartbeat for a couple of moments before she moves to kiss him again, and this time the kiss is gentle, careful, and accepting. As he returns her kiss, Dean can't imagine how he ever got this lucky. _

"I love you so much," Rachel whispers in his ear. He can't stop grinning, and he briefly takes his eyes off the road to look at her long enough to make eye contact and he simply replies, knowing that he doesn't need a lot of words for her to understand the message behind them.

"I love you too, babe."

And he means it.

THE END

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Author's Note: This finishes off my "Reflections Road" two-parter, but Reflections Road is just the beginning of another AUverse for Rachel/Dean, so this won't be the last, I promise. :)


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